Matthew Sharpe shines as Whitby CC 2nds hammer Thornaby 2nds
A devastating bowling display from Whitby CC 2nds helped them power to a 10-wicket victory at home to North Yorkshire & South Durham Cricket League Division Three basement club Thornaby 2nds on Saturday afternoon.
The Whitby 2nds skipper Ricky Hall won the toss, and opted to field first, a decision which swiftly reaped rewards for the Turnbull Ground side.
Gary Sexton was clean-bowled by Billy Blake’s third delivery, the same bowler then dismissed the visiting skipper Usman Khalid for two in the same manner to leave Thornaby 11-2.
Shaun Singh and Muhammed Naeem steadied the ship for a while, taking them to 46-2, but when Craig Thompson clean-bowled Naeem for 14, swiftly followed by Damien Lavender for one, snared leg-before by Craig Thompson, the visitors were in freefall.
Matthew Sharpe then entered the fray, as he had Nasratullah Amarkhail caught for a six-ball duck by Jack Allanson to reduce the visitors to 49-5.
Singh’s 64-ball stay at the crease for 24 runs was finally ended by Sharpe clean-bowling him to reduce Thornaby to 54-6, and Harry Hodgkinson was then dismissed for four by Craig Thompson and Matthew Bowman was castled for a third-ball duck by Sharpe to make it 54-8.
The latter also claimed the wicket of Ollie Mosley and skipper Hall clean-bowled Lee French – both for ducks – as Thornaby were skittled for 58 in 21.1 overs, Sharpe recording excellent figures of 4-3 in five overs and Craig Thompson 3-29 in 10 overs and Blake 2-13 in six overs, Hall claiming his wicket with his only ball of the match.
In reply, openers Jack Allanson (25no) and Chris Knight (22no) made swift work of the target, knocking it off in 6.1 overs.
Whitby 2nds head to Guisborough 2nds this Saturday.
Whitby CC 1sts had a less lucrative Saturday as their recent good form was halted by an eight-wicket loss at Shildon Railway.
The visitors were skittled for 89, opener Tom Steyert top-scoring with 25, Lewis Brearley the next highest score with 18 and Corey Hart (12no) the only other Whitby batsman to reach double figures.
The hosts eased to a winning 90-2 in 13.1 overs, Steyert and Mark Jackson taking a wicket apiece.
Whitby will play host to second-placed Stockton 2nds this Saturday.